Chronic Ulcer on Flank Region as First Manifestation of Crohn’s Disease

Abstract

Crohn’s disease is difficult to diagnose owing to its varied symptoms, among which fistulae are a late-stage symptom that appears mainly in the form of a perianal fistula. A patient who was previously healthy without clinical history visited our hospital with an ulcer of unknown cause at the right flank and gluteal region. Using computed tomography (CT) and colonoscopy, we diagnosed the ulcer as an enterocutaneous fistula caused by Crohn’s disease and successfully treated it with general surgery. In young, lean men with skin lesions of unknown cause, a CT or colonoscopy test may be useful for diagnosing underlying gastrointestinal problems.